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Finding my true vocation
My name is Friar Gerald Tan OFM, and I am one of a handful of lay friars in the Franciscan order in Singapore. In 2020, the year I made my solemn profession of religious vows, I discerned that the Lord was not calling me to the priestly ministry – in other words, not...
St Anthony’s Bread (July 2024)
Living in unity
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, when brothers live in unity!” (Ps 133:1) What more can you ask for when Franciscan friars from all over Asia come together and the conversations and care flow so naturally between them? That is what happened when the...
Secular Franciscans in Asia and Oceania gather for fraternity, fellowship and formation
In May, Secular Franciscans from 12 countries gathered in Manila, the Philippines, for the five-day “Formation Course for Asia and Oceania". The 38 Secular Franciscans, 12 Spiritual Assistants and 1 Franciscan Youth hailed from Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia,...
Experiencing the truth of “the joy of the Lord is my strength”
Jonathan Ng, one of two postulants in the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei), spent the first three weeks in June on a mission trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He shares his experience with us. My mission trip in Kuala Lumpur from 1 to 21 June was...
Lay Friars from across Asia and Oceania gather in Singapore
In May, the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) hosted a regional meeting of Lay Friars within the South Asia, Australia and Oceania Conference (SAAOC). In the Franciscan Order, as in the Church, a baptised person falls under one of two states: Lay...
The Pardon of Assisi
On 2 August of each year, the “Pardon of Assisi” is celebrated in Assisi in the Church of St Mary of the Angels. This church is also known as the Portiuncula, which means “little portion of land”. St Mary of the Angels is conceivably the most important Franciscan...
Franciscan Prayer: Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
800 years on, St Francis’ tunic returns to Egypt
"A chance to follow in St Francis' steps": Eight centuries after the Italian holy man visited Egypt, his relics make a return. When Saint Francis made his renowned journey to Egypt in 1219, he was wearing the humble tunic which went on to become characteristic of his...